---
**Ajegunle Slums, Lagos – 3:17 AM**
The ball was Ibukun Okoche's only friend.
Rain hammered the makeshift pitch, turning the dirt to sludge. The stench of rotting garbage and sweat filled the air as Ibukun danced past another defender, his duct-taped boots sliding in the mud. The other boys—older, stronger, with knives tucked in their waistbands—snarled as he flicked the ball over a lunging tackle.
*"Last goal wins,"* growled Dapo, the gang enforcer. His gold teeth glinted under the flickering generator light. *"You lose, we take your shoes. And maybe a finger."*
Ibukun didn't answer. Words were wasted energy.
He feinted left, rolled the ball with the sole of his foot, and exploded forward. The defenders crashed into each other like drunkards. The goal—a rusted metal frame with no net—stood open.
Then—**lightning**.
A searing pain ripped through his body. The world turned white.
---
**Neo-Brussels Medical Center – 72 Hours Later**
Cold steel pressed against Ibukun's ribs. His eyes snapped open to a humming machine scanning his chest. The walls glowed with holographic text—heart rate, oxygen levels—but one line burned brighter than the rest:
***`HOST STATUS: REBORN. SYSTEM INTEGRATION: 14% COMPLETE.`***
A voice, smooth as aged whiskey but sharp as a switchblade, echoed in his skull:
***"Dribbling: 47. Finishing: 29. Physicality: 51. Disgraceful."***
Ibukun's breath caught. He knew that voice. Every Nigerian did.
***"Say my name, boy."***
His lips moved before he could stop them. *"Jay-Jay Okocha."*
***"Good. Now sit up. We have work to do."***
---
**The System's First Command**
Ibukun's vision blurred as the holograms solidified into a floating menu:
- **STATS** (Dribbling, Shooting, Stamina – all rated embarrassingly low)
- **MISSIONS** (Only one available: *"Stand without assistance"*)
- **SHOP** (Locked – *Requires 100 SP*)
Jay-Jay's laugh was a knife twist. *"Look at you. Can't even walk yet, and you think you'll be a footballer?"*
Ibukun gritted his teeth and swung his legs over the bed. His muscles screamed. The heart monitor spiked.
***`MISSION COMPLETE: "STAND WITHOUT ASSISTANCE." REWARD: 10 SP.`***
A nurse rushed in, her eyes wide. *"Mon Dieu! You should be comatose!"*
Ibukun ignored her. His fingers curled into fists.
*"What are you?"* he whispered.
Jay-Jay's voice dripped with amusement. *"Your new god."*
---